The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 170.1 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.53 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. 
 
In its latest update on Monday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 170,174,444 and 3,537,835, respectively. 
 
The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,258,547 and 594,430, respectively, according to the CSSE. 
 
In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 27,894,800 cases. 
 
The other worst countries with over three million cases are Brazil (16,515,120), France (5,728,418), Turkey (5,242,911), Russia (5,005,171), the UK (4,499,934), Italy (4,216,003), Argentina (3,753,609), Germany (3,687,715), Spain (3,668,658) and Colombia (3,383,279), the CSSE figures showed. 
 
In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 461,931 fatalities. 
 
Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (325,972), Mexico (223,455), the UK (128,043), Italy (126,046), Russia (119,130) and France (109,562).

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 170.1 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.53 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 170.1 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.53 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Monday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 170,174,444 and 3,537,835, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,258,547 and 594,430, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 27,894,800 cases. The other worst countries with over three million cases are Brazil (16,515,120), France (5,728,418), Turkey (5,242,911), Russia (5,005,171), the UK (4,499,934), Italy (4,216,003), Argentina (3,753,609), Germany (3,687,715), Spain (3,668,658) and Colombia (3,383,279), the CSSE figures showed. In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 461,931 fatalities. Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (325,972), Mexico (223,455), the UK (128,043), Italy (126,046), Russia (119,130) and France (109,562).

Global COVID-19 caseload tops 170.1 million

The 47 Hong Kong democratic opposition figures charged with conspiracy to commit subversion, most of whom have been kept in custody for the past three months, are due to appear in court again on Monday in a widely monitored national security case. 
 
They were arrested on charges of participating in an unofficial, non-binding and independently organised primary vote last year to select candidates for a since-postponed city election, which authorities say was a 'vicious plot' to subvert the government. 
 
The defendants, most of whom were denied bail, are expected in West Kowloon Court at 2:30 pm&nbsp;(0630 GMT) before judge Victor So. Activist Jerry Yuen was among a few dozen people queuing up in the morning for a seat. 
 
"I want to tell my friends among the 47 that they don’t need to worry, as many are determined to fight on," he said. 
 
The charges against the activists, many of whom have announced their retirement from politics, are the most sweeping use yet of the national security law and are punishable with up to life in prison. 
 
Diplomats and rights groups are closely watching the case amid mounting concerns over the independence of the former British colony's judicial system, that is seen as the foundation on which its financial prowess was built. 
 
Marathon bail hearings in March lasted four days and dragged late into the night, causing several defendants to fall ill and seek hospital treatment. Most of the subsequent appeals for bail have been denied. 
 
On Friday, High Court Judge Esther Toh denied former lawmaker Claudia Mo's bail application, citing, among other reasons, her WhatsApp messages with foreign journalists, commenting on news. 
 
In denying bail in mid-March to Jeremy Tam, another former lawmaker, Toh cited an email he received from the US&nbsp;Consulate where he was invited to 'catch up'.&nbsp;His lawyers said he never replied. 
 
The security law sets a high threshold for defendants seeking bail to demonstrate they would not break the law, a departure from common law practice, which puts the onus on prosecutors to make their case for detention as an exception. 
 
The protracted hearings and the reasons for rejecting bail have stunned diplomats and rights groups, who see it as a dramatic display of the Chinese-ruled city's authoritarian turn. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The 47 Hong Kong democratic opposition figures charged with conspiracy to commit subversion, most of whom have been kept in custody for the past three months, are due to appear in court again on Monday in a widely monitored national security case.

The 47 Hong Kong democratic opposition figures charged with conspiracy to commit subversion, most of whom have been kept in custody for the past three months, are due to appear in court again on Monday in a widely monitored national security case. They were arrested on charges of participating in an unofficial, non-binding and independently organised primary vote last year to select candidates for a since-postponed city election, which authorities say was a 'vicious plot' to subvert the government. The defendants, most of whom were denied bail, are expected in West Kowloon Court at 2:30 pm (0630 GMT) before judge Victor So. Activist Jerry Yuen was among a few dozen people queuing up in the morning for a seat. "I want to tell my friends among the 47 that they don’t need to worry, as many are determined to fight on," he said. The charges against the activists, many of whom have announced their retirement from politics, are the most sweeping use yet of the national security law and are punishable with up to life in prison. Diplomats and rights groups are closely watching the case amid mounting concerns over the independence of the former British colony's judicial system, that is seen as the foundation on which its financial prowess was built. Marathon bail hearings in March lasted four days and dragged late into the night, causing several defendants to fall ill and seek hospital treatment. Most of the subsequent appeals for bail have been denied. On Friday, High Court Judge Esther Toh denied former lawmaker Claudia Mo's bail application, citing, among other reasons, her WhatsApp messages with foreign journalists, commenting on news. In denying bail in mid-March to Jeremy Tam, another former lawmaker, Toh cited an email he received from the US Consulate where he was invited to 'catch up'. His lawyers said he never replied. The security law sets a high threshold for defendants seeking bail to demonstrate they would not break the law, a departure from common law practice, which puts the onus on prosecutors to make their case for detention as an exception. The protracted hearings and the reasons for rejecting bail have stunned diplomats and rights groups, who see it as a dramatic display of the Chinese-ruled city's authoritarian turn. (With inputs from agencies)

47 HK activists back in court on subversion charges after bail hearings ordeal

May 31 in history: The Great Clock housing Big Ben starts keeping time and more

Britain plans to drop COVID-19 passports as a legal requirement for large events, The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday. 
 
The UK officials working on the review into COVID-19 status certificates believe there is no chance the law will be changed to mandate their use within the UK, the report added. 
 
A government spokesman said in an emailed statement that the COVID-19 vaccine certification review is still in process and no decision has yet been made. 
 
There has been mounting concern over the prospect of vaccine certificates voiced by the UK's Conservative Party, as well as opposition lawmakers and civil rights groups. In April, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also signaled the ethical issues posed by COVID-19 vaccine certification.

(With inputs from agencies)

Britain plans to drop COVID-19 passports as a legal requirement for large events, The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday. The UK officials working on the review into COVID-19 status certificates believe there is no chance the law will be changed to mandate their use within the UK, the report added.

Britain plans to drop COVID-19 passports as a legal requirement for large events, The Daily Telegraph reported on Sunday. The UK officials working on the review into COVID-19 status certificates believe there is no chance the law will be changed to mandate their use within the UK, the report added. A government spokesman said in an emailed statement that the COVID-19 vaccine certification review is still in process and no decision has yet been made. There has been mounting concern over the prospect of vaccine certificates voiced by the UK's Conservative Party, as well as opposition lawmakers and civil rights groups. In April, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also signaled the ethical issues posed by COVID-19 vaccine certification. (With inputs from agencies)

UK vaccine passport plans to be scrapped: The Telegraph

If President Joe Biden gets his way, it will soon be far easier to immigrate to the United States. There will be shorter, simpler forms and applicants will have to jump through fewer security hoops. Foreigners will have better opportunities to join their families and more chances to secure work visas.

A 46-page draft blueprint obtained by The New York Times maps out the Biden administration’s plans to significantly expand the legal immigration system, including methodically reversing the efforts to dismantle it by former President Donald Trump, who reduced the flow of foreign workers, families and refugees, erecting procedural barriers tougher to cross than his “big, beautiful wall.”

Because of Trump’s immigration policies, the average time it takes to approve employer-sponsored green cards has doubled. The backlog for citizenship applications is up 80% since 2014, to more than 900,000 cases. Approval for the U-visa program, which grants legal status for immigrants willing to help the police, has gone from five months to roughly five years.

In almost every case over the past four years, immigrating to the United States has become harder, more expensive and takes longer.

And while Biden made clear during his presidential campaign that he intended to undo much of his predecessor’s immigration legacy, the blueprint offers new details about how far-reaching the effort will be — not only rolling back Trump’s policies, but addressing backlogs and delays that plagued prior presidents.

The blueprint, dated May 3 and titled “D.H.S. Plan to Restore Trust in Our Legal Immigration System,” lists scores of initiatives intended to reopen the country to more immigrants, making good on the president’s promise to ensure America embraces its “character as a nation of opportunity and of welcome.”

“There are significant changes that need to be made to really open up all avenues of legal immigration,” said Felicia Escobar Carrillo, the chief of staff at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, of the efforts to reverse Trump’s agenda. “In the same way that they took a broad-stroke approach to closing off avenues, I think we want to take a broad approach toward opening up the legal avenues that have always been available but that they tried to put roadblocks up on.”

Since taking office four months ago, Biden has struggled with a historic surge in migration by Central American children and teenagers that has prompted some Republicans to accuse the president of flinging open the nation’s borders to people trying to enter the country illegally, a charge the White House rejects.

In fact, Biden does want to open the country to more immigrants. His ambition, as reflected in the blueprint, is to rebuild and expand the opportunities for foreigners to enter the United States — but to do so legally.

Divided into seven sections, the document offers detailed policy proposals that would help more foreigners move to the United States, including high-skilled workers, trafficking victims, the families of Americans living abroad, American Indians born in Canada, refugees, asylum-seekers and farmworkers. Immigrants who apply online could pay less in fees or even secure a waiver in an attempt to “reduce barriers” to immigration. And regulations would be overhauled to “encourage full participation by immigrants in our civic life.”

Even with a more restrictive and slower immigration system, about 1 million people obtained green cards in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic. Most had been waiting for years. In the final year of the Obama administration, 1.2 million people received green cards.

But if Biden accomplishes everything in the document, he will have gone further than just reversing the downward trend. He will have significantly increased opportunities for foreigners around the globe to come to the United States, embracing robust immigration even as a divisive, decadeslong political debate continues to rage over such a policy.

Most of the changes could be put into practice without passage of Biden’s proposed overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, which would provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of people living in the United States illegally but has stalled in a bitterly divided Congress. While surveys show that most Americans support increased immigration, many Republican voters have eagerly backed Trump’s more restrictive policies.

White House officials declined to comment directly on the Homeland Security Department’s blueprint, saying that such documents go through many drafts and that decisions about specific steps to address legal immigration remain in flux. But they said the president remained committed to significantly rolling back the restrictions imposed by his predecessor.

That effort will take time and has not yet caught the public’s attention like the surge of crossings at the southwest border. But conservative activists who have for years demanded lower levels of legal immigration are vowing a fight to stop Biden and extract a political price for his actions.

“They just want to shovel people in here,” said Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, a former Virginia attorney general who served as the acting head of Citizenship and Immigration Services under Trump. “They are not running an immigration system for the benefit of America, and certainly not for the benefit of ordinary Americans. ”

Most research has shown that legal immigration to the United States has benefits for the country’s economy, especially at a time when the country’s population growth is slowing. But Cuccinelli and others who favor severe restrictions on immigration say it is obvious to them that letting foreigners compete for jobs — especially when the country is still recovering from an economic downturn like the one created by the pandemic — will hurt the prospects for American citizens.

“The No. 1 job for the immigration services is to make sure that immigration does not hurt Americans,” said Roy Beck, the founder of NumbersUSA, a group dedicated to far lower levels of legal immigration.

Motivated by that belief, Cuccinelli set in motion a transformation of the government’s legal immigration system during the Trump administration — changing his agency from one that confers benefits on foreigners into a “vetting agency,” in part by issuing numerous restrictions on offering asylum for immigrants and trying to raise fees.

The increased vetting, as well as travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic, helped contribute to the result the Trump administration had sought: The influx of immigrants slowed significantly, as winning legal approval to enter the United States became much harder.

With fewer immigrants coming through the pipeline, there has been less money to finance Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is supported almost entirely by fees paid by immigrants. Restoring the agency to full capacity is at the heart of Biden’s effort to expand legal immigration, according to the document and interviews with administration officials.

A central element of the blueprint is addressing backlogs in the immigration system.

The administration is planning to fast-track immigration applications by expanding virtual interviews and electronic filing, as well as limiting the requests for evidence from applicants. Biden has tapped Cass R. Sunstein, a former Obama administration official and legal scholar at Harvard Law School, to remake the immigration system so it is “more effective and less burdensome” than it has been in decades by “reducing paperwork and other administrative requirements.”

Biden wants to restore opportunities for foreign employees through the existing H-1B visa program, which is intended for workers with special skills. The administration also intends to create new pathways for foreign entrepreneurs who wish to “start-up businesses and create jobs for U.S. workers,” according to the document.

Officials are working on a regulation that could allow migrants to win asylum in the United States if they are victims of domestic violence or their relatives were persecuted. During the Trump era, Attorney General William Barr moved to end asylum protection for those who said they deserved it for those reasons.

Biden is also aiming to expand immigration opportunities for LGBTQ refugees from countries where they are persecuted or where same-sex marriages are not recognized.

In addition, he wants to revamp a program that provides a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally who help law enforcement by cooperating with police or testifying in court.

The waiting list for the U-Visa program has ballooned, leaving crime victims and survivors of domestic abuse vulnerable to abusers who may threaten to report them for deportation if they continue to talk to the police, said Leslye E. Orloff, director of the national immigrant women’s advocacy project at American University.

The Biden administration is considering extending protections to immigrants who cooperate even before they make it on the official waiting list for the visa, according to the document.

“They’re recognizing that there’s danger for these victims,” Orloff said.

Critics say the Biden administration is ignoring the negative consequences of their efforts. The H-1B program has been attacked as a loophole for tech companies to import cheap foreign workers to compete for jobs. Granting asylum to the victims of domestic abuse could open the door to accepting millions of additional people. And some Republicans say Biden should not loosen vetting of foreigners, though officials insist they will continue to screen for terrorists and other threats.

As the Biden administration pushes forward with the changes, officials appear willing to use emergency rules and presidential memos to avoid the lengthy regulatory process, in much the same way that Trump put his own agenda in place. But that could make Biden’s immigration legacy subject to a similar reversal by a Republican president in the future.

“The question looming over all of this work is how do you do this in a way that isn’t easily so capsized next time around,” said Doug Rand, a founder of Boundless Immigration, a technology company in Seattle that helps immigrants obtain green cards and citizenship.

Change could not come soon enough for Jenn Hawk, 37, who is living with her Argentine husband in Poland, where he works, even though her autistic son is in the Washington area with his father.

Because of delays in processing her husband’s immigration application, she is faced with a choice: stay in Poland with the man she married, or go back to the United States alone to be with her 10-year-old son.

Hawk filed to sponsor her husband’s immigration to the United States in October of 2020, spending $575 on the application. But they are facing a delay of more than 1 1/2 years before they can even submit their financial and medical information, let alone get an interview with an immigration officer.

“I just want to go home,” Hawk said. “It seems like they’re doing everything in their power to restrict that from being a possibility.”

If President Joe Biden gets his way, it will soon be far easier to immigrate to the United States. There will be shorter, simpler forms and applicants will have to jump through fewer security hoops.

If President Joe Biden gets his way, it will soon be far easier to immigrate to the United States. There will be shorter, simpler forms and applicants will have to jump through fewer security hoops. Foreigners will have better opportunities to join their families and more chances to secure work visas. A 46-page draft blueprint obtained by The New York Times maps out the Biden administration’s plans to significantly expand the legal immigration system, including methodically reversing the efforts to dismantle it by former President Donald Trump, who reduced the flow of foreign workers, families and refugees, erecting procedural barriers tougher to cross than his “big, beautiful wall.” Because of Trump’s immigration policies, the average time it takes to approve employer-sponsored green cards has doubled. The backlog for citizenship applications is up 80% since 2014, to more than 900,000 cases. Approval for the U-visa program, which grants legal status for immigrants willing to help the police, has gone from five months to roughly five years. In almost every case over the past four years, immigrating to the United States has become harder, more expensive and takes longer. And while Biden made clear during his presidential campaign that he intended to undo much of his predecessor’s immigration legacy, the blueprint offers new details about how far-reaching the effort will be — not only rolling back Trump’s policies, but addressing backlogs and delays that plagued prior presidents. The blueprint, dated May 3 and titled “D.H.S. Plan to Restore Trust in Our Legal Immigration System,” lists scores of initiatives intended to reopen the country to more immigrants, making good on the president’s promise to ensure America embraces its “character as a nation of opportunity and of welcome.” “There are significant changes that need to be made to really open up all avenues of legal immigration,” said Felicia Escobar Carrillo, the chief of staff at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, of the efforts to reverse Trump’s agenda. “In the same way that they took a broad-stroke approach to closing off avenues, I think we want to take a broad approach toward opening up the legal avenues that have always been available but that they tried to put roadblocks up on.” Since taking office four months ago, Biden has struggled with a historic surge in migration by Central American children and teenagers that has prompted some Republicans to accuse the president of flinging open the nation’s borders to people trying to enter the country illegally, a charge the White House rejects. In fact, Biden does want to open the country to more immigrants. His ambition, as reflected in the blueprint, is to rebuild and expand the opportunities for foreigners to enter the United States — but to do so legally. Divided into seven sections, the document offers detailed policy proposals that would help more foreigners move to the United States, including high-skilled workers, trafficking victims, the families of Americans living abroad, American Indians born in Canada, refugees, asylum-seekers and farmworkers. Immigrants who apply online could pay less in fees or even secure a waiver in an attempt to “reduce barriers” to immigration. And regulations would be overhauled to “encourage full participation by immigrants in our civic life.” Even with a more restrictive and slower immigration system, about 1 million people obtained green cards in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic. Most had been waiting for years. In the final year of the Obama administration, 1.2 million people received green cards. But if Biden accomplishes everything in the document, he will have gone further than just reversing the downward trend. He will have significantly increased opportunities for foreigners around the globe to come to the United States, embracing robust immigration even as a divisive, decadeslong political debate continues to rage over such a policy. Most of the changes could be put into practice without passage of Biden’s proposed overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, which would provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of people living in the United States illegally but has stalled in a bitterly divided Congress. While surveys show that most Americans support increased immigration, many Republican voters have eagerly backed Trump’s more restrictive policies. White House officials declined to comment directly on the Homeland Security Department’s blueprint, saying that such documents go through many drafts and that decisions about specific steps to address legal immigration remain in flux. But they said the president remained committed to significantly rolling back the restrictions imposed by his predecessor. That effort will take time and has not yet caught the public’s attention like the surge of crossings at the southwest border. But conservative activists who have for years demanded lower levels of legal immigration are vowing a fight to stop Biden and extract a political price for his actions. “They just want to shovel people in here,” said Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, a former Virginia attorney general who served as the acting head of Citizenship and Immigration Services under Trump. “They are not running an immigration system for the benefit of America, and certainly not for the benefit of ordinary Americans. ” Most research has shown that legal immigration to the United States has benefits for the country’s economy, especially at a time when the country’s population growth is slowing. But Cuccinelli and others who favor severe restrictions on immigration say it is obvious to them that letting foreigners compete for jobs — especially when the country is still recovering from an economic downturn like the one created by the pandemic — will hurt the prospects for American citizens. “The No. 1 job for the immigration services is to make sure that immigration does not hurt Americans,” said Roy Beck, the founder of NumbersUSA, a group dedicated to far lower levels of legal immigration. Motivated by that belief, Cuccinelli set in motion a transformation of the government’s legal immigration system during the Trump administration — changing his agency from one that confers benefits on foreigners into a “vetting agency,” in part by issuing numerous restrictions on offering asylum for immigrants and trying to raise fees. The increased vetting, as well as travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic, helped contribute to the result the Trump administration had sought: The influx of immigrants slowed significantly, as winning legal approval to enter the United States became much harder. With fewer immigrants coming through the pipeline, there has been less money to finance Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is supported almost entirely by fees paid by immigrants. Restoring the agency to full capacity is at the heart of Biden’s effort to expand legal immigration, according to the document and interviews with administration officials. A central element of the blueprint is addressing backlogs in the immigration system. The administration is planning to fast-track immigration applications by expanding virtual interviews and electronic filing, as well as limiting the requests for evidence from applicants. Biden has tapped Cass R. Sunstein, a former Obama administration official and legal scholar at Harvard Law School, to remake the immigration system so it is “more effective and less burdensome” than it has been in decades by “reducing paperwork and other administrative requirements.” Biden wants to restore opportunities for foreign employees through the existing H-1B visa program, which is intended for workers with special skills. The administration also intends to create new pathways for foreign entrepreneurs who wish to “start-up businesses and create jobs for U.S. workers,” according to the document. Officials are working on a regulation that could allow migrants to win asylum in the United States if they are victims of domestic violence or their relatives were persecuted. During the Trump era, Attorney General William Barr moved to end asylum protection for those who said they deserved it for those reasons. Biden is also aiming to expand immigration opportunities for LGBTQ refugees from countries where they are persecuted or where same-sex marriages are not recognized. In addition, he wants to revamp a program that provides a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally who help law enforcement by cooperating with police or testifying in court. The waiting list for the U-Visa program has ballooned, leaving crime victims and survivors of domestic abuse vulnerable to abusers who may threaten to report them for deportation if they continue to talk to the police, said Leslye E. Orloff, director of the national immigrant women’s advocacy project at American University. The Biden administration is considering extending protections to immigrants who cooperate even before they make it on the official waiting list for the visa, according to the document. “They’re recognizing that there’s danger for these victims,” Orloff said. Critics say the Biden administration is ignoring the negative consequences of their efforts. The H-1B program has been attacked as a loophole for tech companies to import cheap foreign workers to compete for jobs. Granting asylum to the victims of domestic abuse could open the door to accepting millions of additional people. And some Republicans say Biden should not loosen vetting of foreigners, though officials insist they will continue to screen for terrorists and other threats. As the Biden administration pushes forward with the changes, officials appear willing to use emergency rules and presidential memos to avoid the lengthy regulatory process, in much the same way that Trump put his own agenda in place. But that could make Biden’s immigration legacy subject to a similar reversal by a Republican president in the future. “The question looming over all of this work is how do you do this in a way that isn’t easily so capsized next time around,” said Doug Rand, a founder of Boundless Immigration, a technology company in Seattle that helps immigrants obtain green cards and citizenship. Change could not come soon enough for Jenn Hawk, 37, who is living with her Argentine husband in Poland, where he works, even though her autistic son is in the Washington area with his father. Because of delays in processing her husband’s immigration application, she is faced with a choice: stay in Poland with the man she married, or go back to the United States alone to be with her 10-year-old son. Hawk filed to sponsor her husband’s immigration to the United States in October of 2020, spending $575 on the application. But they are facing a delay of more than 1 1/2 years before they can even submit their financial and medical information, let alone get an interview with an immigration officer. “I just want to go home,” Hawk said. “It seems like they’re doing everything in their power to restrict that from being a possibility.”

Biden aims to rebuild and expand legal immigration

Nine people have drowned after their overloaded jeep fell into the Yarkhoon River in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to a media report on Monday. The accident occurred on the Onauch Suspension Bridge, near Yarkhoon Valley, on Sunday, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The jeep began its journey with 11 people aboard, including the driver, from Chitral city to the Yarkhoon Valley.

Assistant Commissioner, Mastuj tehsil, Shah Adnan told the newspaper that the vehicle was overloaded with cargo tied to the roof, which could have caused the vehicle to lose balance on the bridge and break through its railing.

Of the 11 travellers in total, 10 persons died, while one managed to swim to safety. Rescue teams are trying to retrieve the bodies from the sunk vehicle.

Nine people have drowned after their overloaded jeep fell into the Yarkhoon River in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to a media report on Monday. The accident occurred on the Onauch Suspension Bridge, near Yarkhoon Valley, on Sunday, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Nine people have drowned after their overloaded jeep fell into the Yarkhoon River in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to a media report on Monday. The accident occurred on the Onauch Suspension Bridge, near Yarkhoon Valley, on Sunday, the Dawn newspaper reported. The jeep began its journey with 11 people aboard, including the driver, from Chitral city to the Yarkhoon Valley. Assistant Commissioner, Mastuj tehsil, Shah Adnan told the newspaper that the vehicle was overloaded with cargo tied to the roof, which could have caused the vehicle to lose balance on the bridge and break through its railing. Of the 11 travellers in total, 10 persons died, while one managed to swim to safety. Rescue teams are trying to retrieve the bodies from the sunk vehicle.

Nine die after overloaded jeep plunges into river in Pakistan

A Ryanair flight from Ireland to Poland diverted to Berlin after the crew were warned of a 'potential security threat' on the plane, the airline said on Monday.

German air traffic control warned the crew of the Dublin-Krakow flight of the potential threat on Sunday, Ryanair said in a statement, without elaborating. It said the captain followed procedures and diverted to Berlin, the nearest airport.

Passengers were taken off the plane 'to facilitate extensive security checks of passengers and all baggage',&nbsp;the airline said. Once they were cleared, passengers were flown to Krakow on a spare plane after a seven-hour delay.

German federal police said early on Monday morning that their deployment was finished, but declined to give details of what led to it, news agency dpa reported. A search of the plane found nothing untoward.&nbsp;

A Ryanair flight from Ireland to Poland diverted to Berlin after the crew were warned of a 'potential security threat' on the plane, the airline said on Monday. German air traffic control warned the crew of the Dublin-Krakow flight of the potential threat on Sunday, Ryanair said in a statement, without elaborating.

A Ryanair flight from Ireland to Poland diverted to Berlin after the crew were warned of a 'potential security threat' on the plane, the airline said on Monday. German air traffic control warned the crew of the Dublin-Krakow flight of the potential threat on Sunday, Ryanair said in a statement, without elaborating. It said the captain followed procedures and diverted to Berlin, the nearest airport. Passengers were taken off the plane 'to facilitate extensive security checks of passengers and all baggage', the airline said. Once they were cleared, passengers were flown to Krakow on a spare plane after a seven-hour delay. German federal police said early on Monday morning that their deployment was finished, but declined to give details of what led to it, news agency dpa reported. A search of the plane found nothing untoward.

Ryanair plane diverted to Berlin over 'potential threat'

At the foot of modern buildings on an anonymous street, a few discreet metal plaques catch the eye.&nbsp;

"Grier shoemaker," "Earl real estate", riveted to the ground, they bear the names of Black-owned businesses that once stood there before being destroyed during one of the worst racial massacres in the United States, in 1921.&nbsp;

A rare vestige of a neighborhood so prosperous it was called Black Wall Street, the plaques prove that the history of Greenwood, a historically Black neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is understood not by the monuments that currently stand, but the ones that are no longer there.&nbsp;

On the eve of a visit from President Joe Biden, popular with African-American voters, who will attend Tuesday's commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the massacre, and after a year marked by the Black Lives Matter movement, the killings resonate with current events more than ever.&nbsp;

"They came over and destroyed Greenwood and burned everything down," Bobby Eaton, 86, a neighborhood resident and former civil rights activist, told AFP.&nbsp;

A century ago, in the southern US town, the arrest of a young Black man accused of assaulting a white woman sparked one of the worst outpourings of racial violence ever seen in the country.&nbsp;

On May 31, 1921, after the arrest of Dick Rowland, hundreds of furious white people gathered outside the Tulsa courthouse, signalling to Black residents that a lynching, a common practice at the time and until as recently as the 1960s, was imminent.&nbsp;

A group of African-American World War I veterans, some of them armed, mobilised in an attempt to protect Rowland.&nbsp;

Tensions spiked and shots were fired. Fewer in number, the African-American residents retreated to Greenwood, known at the time for its economic prosperity and many businesses.&nbsp;

The next day, at dawn, white men looted and burned the buildings, chasing down and beating Black people living there. All day long, they ransacked Black Wall Street -- police not only did not intervene but joined in the destruction -- until nothing was left but ruins and ashes, killing up to 300 people in the process. The destruction left some 10,000 people homeless.&nbsp;

With a blue cap on his head and a T-shirt commemorating the massacre's centennial pulled over his shirt, Eaton feels marked by this event that he never saw but heard so much about as a child in his father's barber shop.&nbsp;

"I learned a lot about the riots as a very young person, that has never left my memory," he said.&nbsp;

In his opinion, as with many others in the neighborhood, it was the African-American prosperity that sparked the destruction. "That caused a great amount of jealousy, and it's still doing so.&nbsp;

"That mentality that destroyed Greenwood to begin with, to a great extent still exists right here in Tulsa," Eaton said.&nbsp;

Even 100 years after the massacre, racial tensions remain high.&nbsp;

In the Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge, a coffee shop named, like many businesses in Greenwood, in homage to the neighborhood's golden age, Kode Ransom, a 32-year-old African-American man, sports long dreadlocks and a big smile as he greets customers.&nbsp;

A happy co-manager of the business, he has one regret: not owning the walls around him.&nbsp;

"People hear 'Black Wall Street,' they think that it's completely controlled by Black people. It's actually not," he said.&nbsp;

Ransom estimates that about 20 African-American-owned businesses exist in Greenwood, and they all pay rent.&nbsp;

"We don't own the land," he said.&nbsp;

An urban planning policy, called urban renewal, carried out by the Tulsa city council since the 1960s, has had the effect of driving out African-American owners whose houses or businesses, deemed dilapidated, were demolished to make way for new buildings.&nbsp;

The construction of a seven-lane highway through the middle of the main street finished disfiguring the neighborhood.&nbsp;

"At the time when Greenwood was Greenwood, you had 40 blocks, and now it's all being condensed down to half of a street... and even on that half of a street it's still not really just Black Wall Street," said Ransom, sighing.&nbsp;

A few meters from the cafe, in the Greenwood Art Gallery, manager Queen Alexander, 31, arranges the exhibited paintings, which celebrate African-American culture.&nbsp;

She also pays rent -- and it's about to go up by 30 per cent. The opening of a large museum dedicated to the neighborhood's history, the Greenwood Rising History Center, which will officially open on Wednesday, has caused rent for the surrounding businesses to increase.&nbsp;

One of her acquaintances, who had run a beauty salon in Greenwood for more than 40 years, was evicted. "She couldn't afford the rent," said Alexander.&nbsp;

Outside the bay windows of her gallery, Alexander observes the gentrification at work.&nbsp;

"You do see now white people walking their dogs, and riding their bikes, in neighborhoods that you would never have seen them before," she said, noting the opening of a baseball field, a Starbucks and "a college that I probably couldn't afford.&nbsp;

For her, Greenwood without its African-American owners and historic buildings is no longer really Black Wall Street but "Greenwood district with some Black business leases."&nbsp;

And "if we all get evicted tomorrow, this is white Wall Street."&nbsp;

At the foot of modern buildings on an anonymous street, a few discreet metal plaques catch the eye. "Grier shoemaker," "Earl real estate", riveted to the ground, they bear the names of Black-owned businesses that once stood there before being destroyed during one of the worst racial massacres in the United States, in 1921.

At the foot of modern buildings on an anonymous street, a few discreet metal plaques catch the eye. "Grier shoemaker," "Earl real estate", riveted to the ground, they bear the names of Black-owned businesses that once stood there before being destroyed during one of the worst racial massacres in the United States, in 1921. A rare vestige of a neighborhood so prosperous it was called Black Wall Street, the plaques prove that the history of Greenwood, a historically Black neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is understood not by the monuments that currently stand, but the ones that are no longer there. On the eve of a visit from President Joe Biden, popular with African-American voters, who will attend Tuesday's commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the massacre, and after a year marked by the Black Lives Matter movement, the killings resonate with current events more than ever. "They came over and destroyed Greenwood and burned everything down," Bobby Eaton, 86, a neighborhood resident and former civil rights activist, told AFP. A century ago, in the southern US town, the arrest of a young Black man accused of assaulting a white woman sparked one of the worst outpourings of racial violence ever seen in the country. On May 31, 1921, after the arrest of Dick Rowland, hundreds of furious white people gathered outside the Tulsa courthouse, signalling to Black residents that a lynching, a common practice at the time and until as recently as the 1960s, was imminent. A group of African-American World War I veterans, some of them armed, mobilised in an attempt to protect Rowland. Tensions spiked and shots were fired. Fewer in number, the African-American residents retreated to Greenwood, known at the time for its economic prosperity and many businesses. The next day, at dawn, white men looted and burned the buildings, chasing down and beating Black people living there. All day long, they ransacked Black Wall Street -- police not only did not intervene but joined in the destruction -- until nothing was left but ruins and ashes, killing up to 300 people in the process. The destruction left some 10,000 people homeless. With a blue cap on his head and a T-shirt commemorating the massacre's centennial pulled over his shirt, Eaton feels marked by this event that he never saw but heard so much about as a child in his father's barber shop. "I learned a lot about the riots as a very young person, that has never left my memory," he said. In his opinion, as with many others in the neighborhood, it was the African-American prosperity that sparked the destruction. "That caused a great amount of jealousy, and it's still doing so. "That mentality that destroyed Greenwood to begin with, to a great extent still exists right here in Tulsa," Eaton said. Even 100 years after the massacre, racial tensions remain high. In the Black Wall Street Liquid Lounge, a coffee shop named, like many businesses in Greenwood, in homage to the neighborhood's golden age, Kode Ransom, a 32-year-old African-American man, sports long dreadlocks and a big smile as he greets customers. A happy co-manager of the business, he has one regret: not owning the walls around him. "People hear 'Black Wall Street,' they think that it's completely controlled by Black people. It's actually not," he said. Ransom estimates that about 20 African-American-owned businesses exist in Greenwood, and they all pay rent. "We don't own the land," he said. An urban planning policy, called urban renewal, carried out by the Tulsa city council since the 1960s, has had the effect of driving out African-American owners whose houses or businesses, deemed dilapidated, were demolished to make way for new buildings. The construction of a seven-lane highway through the middle of the main street finished disfiguring the neighborhood. "At the time when Greenwood was Greenwood, you had 40 blocks, and now it's all being condensed down to half of a street... and even on that half of a street it's still not really just Black Wall Street," said Ransom, sighing. A few meters from the cafe, in the Greenwood Art Gallery, manager Queen Alexander, 31, arranges the exhibited paintings, which celebrate African-American culture. She also pays rent -- and it's about to go up by 30 per cent. The opening of a large museum dedicated to the neighborhood's history, the Greenwood Rising History Center, which will officially open on Wednesday, has caused rent for the surrounding businesses to increase. One of her acquaintances, who had run a beauty salon in Greenwood for more than 40 years, was evicted. "She couldn't afford the rent," said Alexander. Outside the bay windows of her gallery, Alexander observes the gentrification at work. "You do see now white people walking their dogs, and riding their bikes, in neighborhoods that you would never have seen them before," she said, noting the opening of a baseball field, a Starbucks and "a college that I probably couldn't afford. For her, Greenwood without its African-American owners and historic buildings is no longer really Black Wall Street but "Greenwood district with some Black business leases." And "if we all get evicted tomorrow, this is white Wall Street."

100 years after Tulsa race massacre, African Americans still feel outcast 

Kuwaiti businessman Jassem Buabbas has spent years breeding ‘superworms’ for animal feed and now hopes the creatures will find their way into the diets of Gulf citizens.&nbsp;

In a small, dark room outside Kuwait City, Buabbas places the worm-like larvae of the darkling beetle, famed for their high protein content, into a transparent box on a bed of bran and cornflour.&nbsp;

In another, he puts the mature beetles for mating.&nbsp;

"My ambition is for worms to be a successful food alternative for humans," he told AFP.&nbsp;

Insects are widely eaten around the globe, with an estimated 1,000 species appearing on the dinner plates of some two billion people in Africa, Asia and Latin America.&nbsp;

But apart from traditional diets, cricket pasta and mealworm smoothies have become the latest food trend in some world capitals, with edible insects being promoted as a sustainable alternative to regular protein sources.&nbsp;

Some Gulf states have a tradition of eating dried and baked locusts, which can appear in plague proportions. They are considered a delicacy by some, although consumption has fallen out of favour in modern times.&nbsp;

While superworms, in high demand among owners of birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles, have not yet been approved for human consumption in Kuwait, Buabbas is hopeful that people will be willing to try them.&nbsp;

He aims to expand his business beyond the pet trade and get the invertebrates onto dinner plates, in what would be the first such restaurant in the Gulf.&nbsp;

He is now experimenting with recipes before seeking permission from the Kuwaiti authorities.&nbsp;

"I have so far created three types of sauces... and colleagues of mine have tried and liked them," said Buabbas, who apart from breeding superworms works in the government sector.&nbsp;

Regulation is catching up with the food trend in May, the European Commission approved dried mealworms for human consumption after the 27-nation bloc's food watchdog said they were safe to eat.&nbsp;

The decision was good news for the burgeoning insect farming industry in Europe.&nbsp;

Buabbas said a fascination with the secrets of superworms prompted him to travel to Thailand in 2018 to learn more about the animals, which are a popular snack there.&nbsp;

"At first, I was disgusted by them, but... then I got used to the worms, understanding their behaviour and what poses a danger to them," he told AFP.&nbsp;

He spends two hours with the creatures every day, feeding them oats, bran, potatoes and carrots, as well as tweaking humidity and temperature levels.&nbsp;

He usually produces between 3,000 and 6,000 worms every three months, and at times up to 10,000.&nbsp;

The superworms take about 90 days to mature enough to be ready for sale, each weighing approximately a gram at six centimetres (two inches) long. They fetch $3 for 25 larvae.&nbsp;

Buabbas said the superworm business has been lucrative, with bird-breeder customers buying thousands of dollars worth at a time to feed their cardinals and nightingales.&nbsp;

Before borders closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, he would transport boxes of worms to other Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia.&nbsp;

Buabbas markets his business on social media, while he works on superworm recipes that he says will incorporate elements of local cuisine.&nbsp;

But when asked how they tasted, he said he didn't know. He's never tried them.&nbsp;

Kuwaiti businessman Jassem Buabbas has spent years breeding ‘superworms’ for animal feed and now hopes the creatures will find their way into the diets of Gulf citizens.

Kuwaiti businessman Jassem Buabbas has spent years breeding ‘superworms’ for animal feed and now hopes the creatures will find their way into the diets of Gulf citizens. In a small, dark room outside Kuwait City, Buabbas places the worm-like larvae of the darkling beetle, famed for their high protein content, into a transparent box on a bed of bran and cornflour. In another, he puts the mature beetles for mating. "My ambition is for worms to be a successful food alternative for humans," he told AFP. Insects are widely eaten around the globe, with an estimated 1,000 species appearing on the dinner plates of some two billion people in Africa, Asia and Latin America. But apart from traditional diets, cricket pasta and mealworm smoothies have become the latest food trend in some world capitals, with edible insects being promoted as a sustainable alternative to regular protein sources. Some Gulf states have a tradition of eating dried and baked locusts, which can appear in plague proportions. They are considered a delicacy by some, although consumption has fallen out of favour in modern times. While superworms, in high demand among owners of birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles, have not yet been approved for human consumption in Kuwait, Buabbas is hopeful that people will be willing to try them. He aims to expand his business beyond the pet trade and get the invertebrates onto dinner plates, in what would be the first such restaurant in the Gulf. He is now experimenting with recipes before seeking permission from the Kuwaiti authorities. "I have so far created three types of sauces... and colleagues of mine have tried and liked them," said Buabbas, who apart from breeding superworms works in the government sector. Regulation is catching up with the food trend in May, the European Commission approved dried mealworms for human consumption after the 27-nation bloc's food watchdog said they were safe to eat. The decision was good news for the burgeoning insect farming industry in Europe. Buabbas said a fascination with the secrets of superworms prompted him to travel to Thailand in 2018 to learn more about the animals, which are a popular snack there. "At first, I was disgusted by them, but... then I got used to the worms, understanding their behaviour and what poses a danger to them," he told AFP. He spends two hours with the creatures every day, feeding them oats, bran, potatoes and carrots, as well as tweaking humidity and temperature levels. He usually produces between 3,000 and 6,000 worms every three months, and at times up to 10,000. The superworms take about 90 days to mature enough to be ready for sale, each weighing approximately a gram at six centimetres (two inches) long. They fetch $3 for 25 larvae. Buabbas said the superworm business has been lucrative, with bird-breeder customers buying thousands of dollars worth at a time to feed their cardinals and nightingales. Before borders closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, he would transport boxes of worms to other Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia. Buabbas markets his business on social media, while he works on superworm recipes that he says will incorporate elements of local cuisine. But when asked how they tasted, he said he didn't know. He's never tried them.

Kuwaiti breeder hopes superworms will become new superfood 

The first-ever case of the highly infectious B.1.617 variant of coronavirus, first identified in India, has been detected in Pakistan despite a ban on travellers from the neighbouring country since April, the country's top health institute here has said.&nbsp;

The National Institute of Health (NIH) on Friday shared the results of whole-genome sequencing of SARS CoV-2 samples collected during the first three weeks of May 2021, The Express Tribune reported on Friday.&nbsp;

The sequencing results confirmed the detection of seven cases of B.1.351 (South African variant) and one case of B.1.617.2 (first identified in India). This is the first in-country detection of the latter strain, the NIH said in a statement.&nbsp;

As per protocols, contact tracing of all the cases is in progress by the Field Epidemiology &amp; Disease Surveillance Division and District Health Office (DHO), Islamabad, the report said.&nbsp;

The NIH said the continued detection of global strains highlighted the ongoing need for observation of guidelines, usage of masks and need for vaccination.&nbsp;

After India's outbreak of COVID-19 fuelled by the new strain earlier this year, Pakistan in April imposed a ban on travellers arriving from the neighbouring country via the air, sea and land routes, the report said.&nbsp;

However, in May, the variant was detected in Thai travellers, who had visited Pakistan, the report said.&nbsp;

Health authorities in Thailand had confirmed the country's first cases of the variant first identified in India in a Thai woman and her four-year-old son, who were reportedly put in state quarantine since arriving from Pakistan, it said.&nbsp;

The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier said that the B.1.617 strain of coronavirus was found in dozens of countries all over the world. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The first-ever case of the highly infectious B.1.617 variant of coronavirus, first identified in India, has been detected in Pakistan despite a ban on travellers from the neighbouring country since April, the country's top health institute here has said.

The first-ever case of the highly infectious B.1.617 variant of coronavirus, first identified in India, has been detected in Pakistan despite a ban on travellers from the neighbouring country since April, the country's top health institute here has said. The National Institute of Health (NIH) on Friday shared the results of whole-genome sequencing of SARS CoV-2 samples collected during the first three weeks of May 2021, The Express Tribune reported on Friday. The sequencing results confirmed the detection of seven cases of B.1.351 (South African variant) and one case of B.1.617.2 (first identified in India). This is the first in-country detection of the latter strain, the NIH said in a statement. As per protocols, contact tracing of all the cases is in progress by the Field Epidemiology & Disease Surveillance Division and District Health Office (DHO), Islamabad, the report said. The NIH said the continued detection of global strains highlighted the ongoing need for observation of guidelines, usage of masks and need for vaccination. After India's outbreak of COVID-19 fuelled by the new strain earlier this year, Pakistan in April imposed a ban on travellers arriving from the neighbouring country via the air, sea and land routes, the report said. However, in May, the variant was detected in Thai travellers, who had visited Pakistan, the report said. Health authorities in Thailand had confirmed the country's first cases of the variant first identified in India in a Thai woman and her four-year-old son, who were reportedly put in state quarantine since arriving from Pakistan, it said. The World Health Organization (WHO) earlier said that the B.1.617 strain of coronavirus was found in dozens of countries all over the world.

First case of B.1.617 COVID-19 variant found in Pakistan 

Kids at summer camps can skip wearing masks outdoors, with some exceptions.&nbsp;

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention posted the guidance on Friday. Children, who aren't fully vaccinated should still wear masks outside when they're in crowds or in sustained close contact with others and when they are inside.&nbsp;

But fully vaccinated kids need not wear masks, indoors or outside. It's the first in a wave of guidance updates that seek to incorporate recent CDC decisions to tell Americans they don't have to be as cautious about using masks and social distancing outdoors. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, masks are no longer required at the three main movie theatre chains in the United States for people, who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to updated guidelines on Friday.&nbsp;

AMC Entertainment, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas said on their websites that moviegoers who are not fully vaccinated will be asked to continue wearing masks and that other social-distancing measures and cleaning protocols will remain in place.&nbsp;

"In accordance with CDC guidelines, masks are not required for guests who are fully vaccinated," AMC said on its website, referring to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "If you are not fully vaccinated, we ask that you continue to wear a mask throughout the theater unless actively enjoying food or drinks."&nbsp;

Similar updates to mask policy were made on Regal and Cinemark websites. All three chains said they would follow state and local mandates on mask-wearing, which may be different from the CDC guidelines.&nbsp;

The changes for movie theatres come two weeks after the CDC said that fully vaccinated people need not wear masks in any setting. Movie-going has begun ramping up in the United States after lengthy pandemic-related closures and a lack of new film releases.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Kids at summer camps can skip wearing masks outdoors, with some exceptions. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention posted the guidance on Friday. Children, who aren't fully vaccinated should still wear masks outside when they're in crowds or in sustained close contact with others and when they are inside.

Kids at summer camps can skip wearing masks outdoors, with some exceptions. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention posted the guidance on Friday. Children, who aren't fully vaccinated should still wear masks outside when they're in crowds or in sustained close contact with others and when they are inside. But fully vaccinated kids need not wear masks, indoors or outside. It's the first in a wave of guidance updates that seek to incorporate recent CDC decisions to tell Americans they don't have to be as cautious about using masks and social distancing outdoors. Meanwhile, masks are no longer required at the three main movie theatre chains in the United States for people, who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to updated guidelines on Friday. AMC Entertainment, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas said on their websites that moviegoers who are not fully vaccinated will be asked to continue wearing masks and that other social-distancing measures and cleaning protocols will remain in place. "In accordance with CDC guidelines, masks are not required for guests who are fully vaccinated," AMC said on its website, referring to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "If you are not fully vaccinated, we ask that you continue to wear a mask throughout the theater unless actively enjoying food or drinks." Similar updates to mask policy were made on Regal and Cinemark websites. All three chains said they would follow state and local mandates on mask-wearing, which may be different from the CDC guidelines. The changes for movie theatres come two weeks after the CDC said that fully vaccinated people need not wear masks in any setting. Movie-going has begun ramping up in the United States after lengthy pandemic-related closures and a lack of new film releases. (With inputs from agencies)

CDC loosens mask guidance for summer campers 

Russia will move ahead with a second $500 million loan to Belarus next month, following talks between the two countries' leaders amid uproar in the West over the grounding of a passenger jet in Minsk and the arrest of a dissident blogger.&nbsp;

President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko held a second day of talks, as well as a yacht tour, in the southern Russian city of Sochi on Saturday, as the Russian leader showed his longstanding ally support in this latest standoff with the West.&nbsp;

Russia promised Belarus a $1.5 billion loan last year as part of Moscow's efforts to stabilise its neighbour. Minsk received a first instalment of $500 million in October.&nbsp;

Belarus is to receive the second tranche before the end of June, the RIA news agency reported.&nbsp;

Several Western countries accused Belarus of piracy this week after Belarusian air traffic control informed the pilot of a Ryanair passenger jet of a hoax bomb threat.&nbsp;

Minsk scrambled a MiG-29 fighter plane to escort the jetliner down, and then arrested Roman Protasevich, a blogger and critic of Lukashenko, who was on board.&nbsp;

Arrested with Protasevich was his girlfriend, a Russian citizen.&nbsp;

Putin on Saturday raised the topic of Sofia Sapega, the TASS news agency reported, citing Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov.&nbsp;

"President Lukashenko informed his Russian colleague in detail about what happened with the Ryanair flight," TASS cited Peskov as saying.&nbsp;

"On the initiative of the Russian president the topic of the Russian citizen, who was detained, was raised .... Naturally, we are not indifferent to her fate," Peskov was cited as saying.&nbsp;

He added the Kremlin would take note of the fact that Sapega also has a Belarusian residency permit.&nbsp;

Putin and Lukashenko completed the day of talks with a yacht tour in Sochi. A video appeared to show the two leaders laughing and spotting dolphins off the Russian coast.&nbsp;

Most of Belarus's neighbours and many other European nations have banned flights by Belarusian national airline Belavia following Sunday's forced landing of the Ryanair jet, which was en route to Lithuania from Greece.&nbsp;

The issue of air travel for Belarusian citizens was raised during Saturday's meeting, Peskov was cited by Interfax as saying, adding the transport ministries of Moscow and Minsk had been tasked with helping Belarusian citizens currently in Europe to return home.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Russia will move ahead with a second $500 million loan to Belarus next month, following talks between the two countries' leaders amid uproar in the West over the grounding of a passenger jet in Minsk and the arrest of a dissident blogger.

Russia will move ahead with a second $500 million loan to Belarus next month, following talks between the two countries' leaders amid uproar in the West over the grounding of a passenger jet in Minsk and the arrest of a dissident blogger. President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko held a second day of talks, as well as a yacht tour, in the southern Russian city of Sochi on Saturday, as the Russian leader showed his longstanding ally support in this latest standoff with the West. Russia promised Belarus a $1.5 billion loan last year as part of Moscow's efforts to stabilise its neighbour. Minsk received a first instalment of $500 million in October. Belarus is to receive the second tranche before the end of June, the RIA news agency reported. Several Western countries accused Belarus of piracy this week after Belarusian air traffic control informed the pilot of a Ryanair passenger jet of a hoax bomb threat. Minsk scrambled a MiG-29 fighter plane to escort the jetliner down, and then arrested Roman Protasevich, a blogger and critic of Lukashenko, who was on board. Arrested with Protasevich was his girlfriend, a Russian citizen. Putin on Saturday raised the topic of Sofia Sapega, the TASS news agency reported, citing Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov. "President Lukashenko informed his Russian colleague in detail about what happened with the Ryanair flight," TASS cited Peskov as saying. "On the initiative of the Russian president the topic of the Russian citizen, who was detained, was raised .... Naturally, we are not indifferent to her fate," Peskov was cited as saying. He added the Kremlin would take note of the fact that Sapega also has a Belarusian residency permit. Putin and Lukashenko completed the day of talks with a yacht tour in Sochi. A video appeared to show the two leaders laughing and spotting dolphins off the Russian coast. Most of Belarus's neighbours and many other European nations have banned flights by Belarusian national airline Belavia following Sunday's forced landing of the Ryanair jet, which was en route to Lithuania from Greece. The issue of air travel for Belarusian citizens was raised during Saturday's meeting, Peskov was cited by Interfax as saying, adding the transport ministries of Moscow and Minsk had been tasked with helping Belarusian citizens currently in Europe to return home. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia confirms second loan for Belarus, raises issue of detained citizen 

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Gandharv Walia

Home

Live Tv

Latest

World

India

Business

Entertainment

Sports

Opinions

Videos

Photos

Gravitas

Lifestyle

Science

Tech

Rajasthan News in Hindi: In-depth coverage of Rajasthan Crime, Political News, Education, Rajasthan Weather Update and Latest Rajasthan News on Zee News Rajasthan.